


travel through snow, together we go

by Waistcoat35



Series: they slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered [11]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Cold Weather, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24781156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waistcoat35/pseuds/Waistcoat35
Summary: “You can have half.”
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Series: they slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772770
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	travel through snow, together we go

Richard finishes buttoning up his coat and hovers next to the door, watching as Thomas approaches it too, struggling to get into his sleeves all the while. By the time he gets to the door, he's managed to get into the coat, but it's rumpled to say the least, and Richard uses this as a pretence to straighten Thomas' lapels and brush imaginary lint off the shoulders, an excuse to feel the birdlike bones and solid shoulders under the material. He leaves his hands on Thomas' shoulders, not-yet-gloved fingers dancing towards the crease of shoulder and neck, when he notices. 

"You don't have a scarf, silly boy."

Thomas shrugs in a way that's probably meant to be surprised, but is half-hearted at best. "Must've...forgotten it?" (He's surprised he hasn't noticed it before, but on the walk from the station to Richard's flat they'd been more preoccupied with what was underneath their coats than what was over them, quickly shrugging them off until they were in shirtsleeves, collapsing into a warm, coiled-together heap on the sofa.)

Richard shakes his head. "Well, that won't do, will it, my darling?" Thomas shakes his head, managing to look a mixture of embarrassed and rather pleased with himself. He often remarks that every time they see one another Richard looks and sounds even more loved-up than the last time, as if he isn't exactly the same. 

Despite his mock-exasperation , he still willingly plays his role. "Whatever shall you do to stop your poor, dear beloved from suffering in the bitter chill, Mr Ellis?" His eyebrows curve downwards, imitating thoughtfulness, but the curl of his mouth gives him away. 

"Never to fear," Richard says, checking his coat rack. "It's here somewhere - I should have a spare." After some fruitless searching, he finds that he does not, but rather than surrender his honour he unravels one end of his own scarf from the knot it's in around his neck and holds it out. "You can have half?"

Thomas raises his eyebrows, amused. "Half your scarf?"

Richard nods and grins, delighted with himself. "Half my scarf." Thomas takes the proffered end and wraps it around his own neck, closer and closer until they cannot move too far apart, practically cheek to cheek. He tests it out, walking up and down with Richard, and they both nearly trip over their own feet until it is eventually taken off. Richard loops it back around his neck once Thomas declines to borrow it, and Thomas grabs the tassels and reels him in for a kiss, leaving him dazed once again as he fumbles with the door. 


End file.
